A Toolkit From The Dougy Center For Individuals on COVID-19 Related Grief
Since the pandemic started in 2020, hundreds of thousands of grandparents, parents, siblings, aunties, uncles, friends, and extended family members have died of COVID-19. Each person leaves behind family and friends, including children and teens, who are grieving. If you’re supporting a child or teen in this situation, you’re likely wondering, “How do I help?” We hope these tips will help guide you.
A Toolkit For Caring Community Professionals On Grief From The Dougy Center
Find grief-informed resources made for religious, community, and business leaders. The Dougy Center offers leaders and other helping professionals a toolkit on poems, activities, videos, articles, podcasts and tipsheets related to death, dying and grief. Topics are sorted out by the type of death and the person who died. Spanish toolkits are also available.
A Toolkit For Counselors and Helping Professionals On Grief From The Dougy Center
If you know a child who has experienced the death of someone, here are a few basic principles to keep in mind. Speak openly and honestly about death; Listen; Be open to different ways of grieving; Offer choices; Talk about and remember the person who died; Provide consistency and routine; Know that grief doesn't have a schedule; Get extra help if needed; Find sources of support for yourself. (From The Dougy Center's resource on "Ten Tips For Supporting Children Who Are Grieving.")
A Toolkit For Young Grieving Children From The Dougy Center
While everyone grieves differently, there are some behaviors and emotions commonly expressed by children depending on their developmental level. A child’s developmental level is influenced by more than just their actual age. Trauma, including grief, and a variety of life challenges can inform where a child is along the spectrum of development. These stages are not rigid and a child might show a mix of responses from more than one developmental stage. Children, no matter what age, find consistency, routine, and flexibility to be helpful.
A Toolkit For School Personnel On Grief From The Dougy Center
As a teacher, school counselor, support staff, or administrator, it’s likely you’ll work with a student grieving the death of a family member or friend. Supporting anyone in grief can be intimidating, and especially so when it’s a child or teen. Drawn from the insights of grieving students, the Dougy Center has compiled these tips for supporting students after a death. This toolkit offers school personnel a toolkit on poems, activities, videos, articles, podcasts and tipsheets related to death, dying and grief.
A Toolkit For Family And Friends On Grief From The Dougy Center
From the Dougy Center's "Grief Out Loud" podcast episode, "No Apology Needed": "Most of us don’t know what to say or do, so we go turn to what we’ve heard others say in a similar situation, “I’m sorry for your loss.” While there’s nothing wrong with those words, especially when said with authenticity and full presence, it’s helpful to know how that phrase affects those who are grieving and what you can say instead."
A Toolkit On Advanced Serious Illness From The Dougy Center
Pathways helps families when a family member is living with an advanced serious illness. The Dougy Center offers this population a toolkit on poems, activities, videos, articles, podcasts and tipsheets related to death, dying and grief. Topics are sorted out by the type of death and the person who died. Topics include issues on hospice and palliative care, family connections, legacy building, cancer, Alzheimer's, and other serious illnesses. Spanish toolkits are also available.
A Toolkit For Families and Caregivers On Grief From The Dougy Center
Helping a child or teen who is grieving can be overwhelming for a parent or adult caregiver. This resource is for parents and caregivers who are looking for ways in which to support children in their lives who are struggling with grief. The toolkit includes poems, activities, videos, articles, podcasts and tipsheets related to death, dying and grief. Topics are sorted by the type of death and the person who died. Spanish toolkits are also available.
A Toolkit For Young Adults On Grief From The Dougy Center
Whether it was a parent, sibling, partner/ spouse, grandparent, close friend, or other family member, we’re glad you found your way to these tip sheets. This information comes directly from the grieving young adults we’ve worked with in our peer support groups. Even though grief is different for everyone, it can be helpful to hear what it’s been like for others who “get it” on some level. We compiled a list of the parts of grief that can be surprising, especially if you’ve never had someone close to you die.
A Toolkit For Teens On Grief From The Dougy Center
One thing we’ve learned from other teens who have had someone die is grief usually does what it wants — it doesn’t follow any rules or keep to a schedule. There’s no recipe and there isn’t a right or wrong way to grieve. What matters most is figuring out what really helps you deal with all that comes with grief and what doesn’t help at all. It’s totally up to you.